Did Scalextric Predict How We Would Be Getting Around in the Future?

As a child one of my favorite toys was my ever growing Scalextric. I begged, borrowed and exchanged my other toys with others that would prefer them to their Scalextric tracks, so that my small oval doughnut shaped track became a snaking trail of tracks that weaved its way through most of the rooms in my house to my mum's chagrin and dismay!

Scalextric for those of you too young to remember them, were little electric slot cars that used a slot on a track so 2 kids could compete in a race to the death. My favorite car was a Porsche that I had tweaked with my secret formula of weight distribution and brushes to make it hug the track and go faster around corners!

So what (do you say), has this got to do with today's (future) methods of getting around.

Well, I am sure you have heard of the EV (Electric Vehicle). I am passionate about cars and very interested in EV's. I have followed the death and rebirth of the EV with much passion and interest. I believe it is the way of the future if we want to preserve our beautiful planet.

However, like you, I agree that there are 3 things that need to change to make an EV a true option:

• Accessible cost of purchase
• Green Electricity
• Range (the ability to cover similar kilometers for a charge as a fossil-fuelled car is able to do on a tank full).

The first 2 points are merely a matter of economies of scale and customer choice (many countries already have a choice for residents to purchase non-fossil fuelled electricity).

Range
In an EV, there is a motor that is propelled via batteries that then require charging, more-or-less every 120Kms. The absence of charging stations every 100 or so kilometers, makes it rather difficult.

Well, here is where Scalextric comes in. In Scalextric, the slot on the track achieves 2 things in one go. It helps guide the car on the track, which in the case of a car, the driver does and it also provides electricity to propel the motor that turns the wheels. And no, I am not proposing we cut a slot along all our roads. However, there are today very effective technologies readily available, prospected by Mr Nikola Tesla, way back around 1893, that provide a very effective solution. It is called "Wireless Power Transfer via Strongly Coupled Magnetic Resonances". To put it simply, in this scenario, roads would be built with an embedded technology that transfers electricity to the car through electromagnetism that in turn powers the motor that turns the wheels. Just like that, no wires, no plugs, just endless supply of green electricity; wherever there is a road surface. And no, there is no risk of electrocution!

And if you do not believe it can be done or that it is in the far distant future, just look at this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w8E34xvYis

So what is delaying the roll-out of such roads? Good question. The simple answer is the self interest of strong Petrochemical lobbyists!

The technology is here today. We all should be writing to our local politician, incessantly to invest in and support "Road based wireless EV charging".

Be a leader in your community and speak-up for Green Transport.

In our definition, Leaders are those that create Leaders and Leadership starts with one owning the responsibility of taking a Lead in their own life! Whether you know it or not, you are a Leader! Leaders exist in all walks of life. They are mothers, CEOs, volunteers, spiritualists, care-givers, receptionists, and the list goes on. However not all these role players are Leaders. aldogrech.com

Celebrate Mistakes

Leader definition according to Dictionary.com - a person or thing that leads; a guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or political group.

Leader definition according to Oxford Dictionary - the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country; the person or team that is winning a sporting competition at a particular time; an organization or company that is the most advanced or successful in a particular area.

Today we redefine Leadership. Leadership is not exclusively related to the work environment. Leadership is about being in our element, operating from our essence. I have real life examples to make the point in a work environment that equally applies to all walks of life. The example is a real organisation in decline and in real trouble. In administration and having lost six hundred thousand dollars. I will later show you how Leadership utilising this new definition, has impacted this organisation.

We are all born natural leaders. But leadership is often educated out of us in our early days to conform to normality, through fear of mistakes.

We celebrate mistakes!

In this organisation the Staff to choose their CEO. I am that CEO. I, in turn nominated the customer as our CEO and delegated myself as his assistant. We instituted weekly meetings where the team was encouraged to bring their mistake to the table. If people did not, we assumed that they were not trying hard enough. Management is about control and as a result driven by fear of failure. Without risk, there is no growth and risk brings fear of mistakes. It is our responsibility as leaders to remove fear of mistakes as that's where the gold lies. Be-it at home or at the workplace, where there is fear of making mistakes, growth and creativity are greatly hampered. As a child, every fall was a step closer to our first step. The light bulb might never have been invented if it wasn't for thousands of mistakes.

"You mean I can do what I want, when I work for your company." Yes, this is your company. You turn-up when you want to and approach your role in the way that feels best for you. If the customer is satisfied, then so are we! "Really??? But when I expressed myself freely as a young child, I was told to grow-up and stop being silly!!!"

Such is the rigorous and pervasive normalisation training from our early days in in our culture generally, that fear, whilst undesirable, feels comfortable (the comfort of the known) where-as true freedom of expression is difficult and challenging. Happiness at home and at work relates more to the freedom of self-expression than it relates to how much we earn. Fear marginalises us. It makes us feel like frauds among peers. Operating from our essence, without fear of failure makes us Leaders. Leaders are creative and motivate others to operate from their core and their essence. They remove barriers of fear and shame. They motivate by respecting the individual for their individuality rather than rail-roading them into conformity of standards, hierarchy, roles and KPIs.

Mums can be Leaders. Artists can be leaders. Receptionists can be Leaders. Leaders are not hierarchically or financially motivated. Managers are! Yet, in my experience, the hardest thing is for people to trust that they are allowed to make mistakes and that they are allowed to "be themselves"! That's the real test. I was fortunate to work closely with Stan Shih (founder of Acer Computer). He believed that mistakes are the cost of education and losses applied to our training budget. Stan's company became the 3rd largest global PC manufacturer. When we set-out to be the best of who we are, doing what we believe not for financial or hierarchical advancement, as Steve Jobs showed, we end-up changing the world and receiving great financial reward.

So, operating from our Essence, is the best way to look after the board and the shareholders. We, met our customers and asked them many questions about us. We turned rhetoric and clichés into actions, marketed less, established customer-centric internal vision, eliminate non-profitable products, allowed the organisation to self realign behind the new vision, did not replace sales staff that left, removed the Sales Department, re-distributed the amount traditionally allocated to sales commissions into incentives for all. Most suppliers abandoned us. This had a significant impact on our Vision and had to choose a new, more profitable and sustainable direction. Gave 40% of company to staff and shared it equally between us.

We got the team to have more fun, flexible working hours, Foosball at office, Go carting & Karaoke nights, hours/days off without impacting leave entitlements, worked smarter not harder, Eliminate manual processes, open space environment and more. 14 staff spend less time at work, produced more than 29 did, revenues continued to slide! Profitability went up SIGNIFICANTLY, finishing 2011/12 with six hundred thousand dollar profit (a one point two million dollar turn-around) and on track to a record two point six million in 2012/13.

A new Definition

We need a new definition of humanity. One that is not based on historic structure that defines us by colour, sex, creed, geography, financial wealth, age and stature.

We are born naturally fluid with an ability to morph ourselves to an environment. Unfortunately the "normal" environment we have created is not natural at all and forces us onto a train track called age with milestones of what is expected as achievement at certain ages. So by age x we are meant to have started spelling and by age y we are meant to have started mathematical computations, at age z we get married, and so on.... Those that do not comply, are somehow cast aside as lesser human beings as defined by academic "progress" or cultural limitations. Those that do are mostly on a treadmill of further expectations of "success" as defined by a third party and are white-knuckling it through in case they fall off this path into the abyss of "non-peak performance". And this supposedly is progress!

Just writing that previous paragraph has made me feel stressed. Let alone living it!

This linear path of progression in our lives, is designed around the needs for banks to make money from interest and for governments to continue re-inventing new taxes that they mostly squander as proven in the last Global Financial Crises.

So, now that obviously money has no value as governments in cahoots with the reserve banks continue to print money to hand-over to those that quickly redirect it to their bank accounts and where in America, 20 individuals are worth more than half the population there, has the time come for the majority to redefine what human life is all about and what defines humanity?

Beware of "Talking" Managers

Beware of your managers that talk a lot about their strategies, strengths, team building concepts, etc.....

The old adage "the proof is in the pudding" is very apt here. Furthermore, usually managers that talk a lot about these "methods" are often found to be dropping slogans to big-note themselves (usually out of fear) and are a long way from understanding let alone adopting these methods - They require Leadership training.

As an example, I recently observed a manager that whenever involved in meetings (be-it one-on-one or in a group) talks at the rate of knots. She stresses that in her view it is all about listening to the team and operating on the basis of team feedback. However, at no stage did she really stop long enough to catch breath, let alone to create a real space where the team could contribute.

In a particular meeting, one of her team members, who was the only one still eager to rise above the barrage, and raise a point during question time was met with a "close" response! Something like, "I will collect everybody's feedback and take it to management'". Wow; his was feedback had she teased it out!

This is not to say that these managers will not meet the lowest required threshold to performance, embellished by their constant "qualifying" to management that all the negative outcomes are a result of externalities and that they are doing their best in "the given circumstances". Just that these managers end up with a team that is not truly empowered, losing the Leaders (as defined by CxO Consulting) amongst them and always struggling to get there, rather than allowing the team energy and capabilities to truly maximise opportunities and to grow into previously uncharted territories.

These type of managers are certainly not Leaders and will not create a Great Organisation complete with Leaders at every level.

It might be however that as the Leader of your organisation, you prefer this type of "driven" (as often, vocal is confused with driven) manager. Unfortunately, if this is you, then the prognosis is not good for your organisation. Your competition and their Leaders are operating in a different paradigm and will more likely than not, eclipse you.

Be a true Leader and ensure that your managers are Leaders too and that their Leadership shows-up in visible results, without the excessive "talking".

Listening is the domain of the wise, excessive words are the domain of the fearful.


Aldo Grech - CXO Consulting

Energy is Energy

Energy is neither positive nor negative, it is just energy.

Energy is a gift of our nature that passes through us in response to a given situation. As it passes through us it gets coloured as positive, negative or neutral on the basis of our Ego, our upbringing, our state of mind. Based on this judgement, we then respond in a given way, either reacting negatively, positively or, not at all. These moments, unless seized as opportunities, are squandered gifts.

True Leaders, perceptively understand that every time this energy within them is triggered for a given situation, it is a GREAT opportunity to grab the moment and respond with an approach that engenders empowerment, growth, well-being and empathy.

Others that have not understood this basic, and often unconscious reality, automatically react through the filter of right or wrong. They do not understand that ultimately, there is no right or wrong except that, which has been tattooed in their brain. Our brain is a strong and capable resource that protects us on the basis of what it knows - OUR HISTORY.

Leaders understand that our history is not who we are. We are everything there is and our brain is only able to give us a small percentage of reality limited by our years on this planet; and should we be guided by this, then we are missing-out on the bigger picture which is available to each and everyone of us.

So if Leadership is what you are aspiring to, then remember to question any auto-response your brain triggers when faced with what you then perceive as calamities, crises and issues. Better still, feel your way through a situation, trusting your god-given intuitive self rather than being limited by your history; your brain.

These are challenging choices to comprehend as, as you are reading this, your brain might be giving you all sorts of triggers, informing you to view this negatively and to discount it as "a great theory that will never work in the real world", or some similar notion. If this is you, then make the leap of Leadership and allow yourself to see beyond the tyranny of your history to embark, one "calamity" at a time towards your full potential that already exists within you and that your history is holding you back from.

In fact the brain, by its nature is selfish as it, to a large degree, exists to protect you.

Leadership is everything but selfish.

Aldo Grech - CXO Consulting

Unedited

I write what, how and as I feel and with little editing. I certainly do not avail myself of 3rd party editors. Many of you that have read my articles will absolutely agree with a nod of the head and an "Aha"!

I refuse to put the make-up on my writing.

This may be because at the young age of 7, I won an award for an article I did not write. My uncle, the headmaster wrote it for me! This was somehow meant to help me in my path in life; I guess the more awards bestowed on me, the more intelligent I appeared, or something. What it actually accomplished for that younger version of me, was shame that I was obviously considered unable to write my own article, and at that young sensitive age, I seriously, was not, nor should have been. Rather than empowerment, I was left with a lesser-then feeling as obviously the implication was that at that young vulnerable age I should already have been running a publishing empire all with editors, printing presses and brilliant marketers!

On the other hand, it may be because, I want to show-up for who I am, without make-up. And if there are those that will judge me because sometimes my grammar is long-winded or my spelling sometimes erratic; then probably they are not my target audience.

In my writing, I am sharing myself, and I wish this to be felt even more than read. My beloved siblings have often remarked, " Aldo, your messages, passion and concepts are absolutely felt in your writing and here are some spelling corrections......". I am grateful and obviously gladly go ahead and correct the spelling. However, what matters to me is their and other friends' and readers' feedback, that my messages and passion are palpable, and so I have achieved my objective.

I thank those that still persist in reading my musings and hope that you get something from them; if nothing else, the gift of Leadership through authenticity. I encourage you to respect your natural and innate passion and purpose and show-up for who you are. You only need around you those that respect you for who you are now, and can do without those that expect perfection from you, as this, at best is unreal and certainly not who I am now! Perfection is so seriously overrated anyway.

True abundance (even the financial kind) is mostly found in authenticity in whatever we do, while riches can be made from inauthenticity, but often that comes with many layers of despair and depression. Your choice!

Aldo Grech - CXO Consulting

Believers and Chameleons

Leaders are believers. The rest are chameleons. And there is nothing necessarily wrong with any of these options as long as this is a conscious choice. By believers we do not mean religious or cultural beliefs, but organic and granular beliefs we were born with (our purpose and passion) often derailed and apparently lost in the process of turning us natural beings into normalized (domesticated) beings.

We all have innate beliefs and most of us, mostly subconsciously, discount them to blindly follow others' (civilization trains us towards this); we become chameleons, adapting to environments with the main objective being safety! Never quite exposing our authentic selves.

The few of us that live by our beliefs and values, have tapped into that leader that exists in each and every one of us.

This simple concept of personal beliefs and values, is often a great challenge for most of us preferring instead to live an inauthentic life that leads us to depression and despair. Most then medicate (often subconsciously) through things such as need for money, authority, shopaholic tendencies, alcoholism, workaholism, gambling, drugs and various other forms of obvious and often less obvious addictions.

These distractions are meant to fill that gaping hole left by our self-avoidance and self-negation, but they often do not and the only answer then is prescription drugs, which is no option at all. Well, maybe one step better than the suicide option!

Living from our authentic self is the only answer and the magic of leadership and self-fulfillment while contributing to society from our purpose and passion. The alternative is not a feasible option as most of us, in our authentic moments of clarity, are able to see but seem unable to follow-through.

So, be a leader in whatever you do; at home, at work, in your hobby, etc. And discover the leader in you that will lead you to greater peace, fulfillment and abundance.

Else, there is always prescription drugs and the despair of Ego.

Aldo Grech - CXO Consulting